Getroyen
by KrasnyCassandra
Summary: Trust, and distractions, between friends.
1. Chapter 1

After the third straight day of terse answers and awkward silences, Annie decided enough was enough. In Paris she'd done what was necessary to save another agent's life. The fact that the agent in question was Mossad instead of CIA should not have mattered. Auggie had no good reason to be pissy with her. She set her alarm clock an hour earlier than usual and called Auggie's car service to let them know they weren't needed that morning.

Auggie answered his door and immediately frowned. "Annie what are you doing here?" His keen sense of smell told him who was at his door, but couldn't tell him how angry she looked.

Annie reached out and shoved him back into his apartment. Once through the door she kicked it shut with her heel. Hands planted on her hips she stalked right up her handler, and best friend, invading his personal space as only she could. "You and I need to talk, Auggie."

His confused expression instantly turned to stone. He took a step back. She followed him.

"Cut it out, Annie. We have to get to work."

"We're not leaving this apartment Auggie Anderson until you tell me what crawled up your ass and took root." She was toe to toe with him and refused to back down until she got an answer.

Her hands clenched the fabric of her skirt atop her hips. His arms crossed in front of his chest. The toe of one, delicious, sling-backed heel tapped on the tile floor of his kitchen. A slight shift in his stance told him he was backed against the breakfast bar. If she got any closer he'd be wearing her perfume for the rest of the day.

"Damn it, Annie, you _know_ why I'm upset. Why can't you _trust_ me?"

She blinked. While she was fairly certain his anger had something to do with the Paris mission, she couldn't comprehend Auggie thinking she didn't trust him. Her shocked whisper said as much. "Auggie you're the only person in the whole world I do trust." She swallowed and looked away. "Completely," she mumbled.

He wanted to wrap her up in a hug right then and forget every, perfectly sane, reason why he was angry. But, he told himself, he needed to make her understand the pain he lived with every time she threw herself into danger.

"You have a funny way of showing it. It's my job to keep you safe Annie. You need to listen to me, to _trust_ me when I tell you to stand down and wait for backup."

She flipped her hair back over her shoulder and glared at him- admitting to herself that glaring at Auggie Anderson was pretty pointless and petty. "Your _job_ is to help me complete my mission, Auggie. That doesn't always mean keeping me safe. Seems to me most of the time your job is to send me into danger."

He reached out and grabbed her. She was standing so close he found her upper arm on the first try. "No! I have to send you into dangerous situations, but that isn't the same thing. You are smart enough to get yourself through missions without really endangering lives- yours or anyone else. I swear Annie, ever since Sri Lanka you've been reckless. Ben isn't worth it."

He knew the second the words were out of his mouth that he'd gone too far. Annie's open handed slap across his jaw only solidified his guilt. She twisted in his grip, trying to pull away. "Let me go," she hissed.

The pain in his chest threatening to well up and choke off his voice, Auggie shook his head. "No." He pulled her the last few inches into his arms and did what he'd wanted to do since that harrowing phone call from Paris. One arm snaked around her waist while the other cupped the back of her head. His handsome face dipped down to whisper against her hairline. "Never."

She was stiff for another minute before stifling a whimper and relaxing. She rested her head against his chest, feeling the softness of his button down dress shirt. In Auggie's arms, whether it was a friendly hug, a jovial shoving match, or this desperate, clinging, embrace, Annie felt safe. Truly safe. She didn't have to pretend to be strong or brave. She didn't have to act like she was over Ben's multiple betrayals.

"No, you don't, and I'd wish you'd stop trying."

She pushed back, both hands sliding up over his chest. "I said that out loud?"

Auggie's lips, finally, quirked into a smile. "You did." He released her from the hug. He ran his hands up and down her arms twice. "I'm sorry. Forgive me?"

"Ditto?"

Outrage and disgust twisted his features. "Did you just quote _Ghost_? Eew!"

His laughter was contagious. She giggled and bumped him with her hip as she turned away. "Get your coat. We're late for work." She watched while he gathered his things. This was the Auggie she knew and cared for, joking and hiding his pain from the world, but never from her. "So we're good?"

Auggie clasped her elbow on the way out the door. "Oh, Walker, together we're better than good, we're unstoppable."

"Damn straight, Anderson"

**A/N: This didn't work out quite the way I had intended. I started them fighting to set the scene for something else, but Annie and Auggie seized the moment and ran with it. I'll have to write another chapter to cover the original conversation I had in mind.**

**Thank you again for all the wonderful reviews of my previous Covert Affairs fan fiction. I do not lay claim to the characters or storyline of Covert Affairs and no copyright infringement is intended. All trademarks and rights are retained by the series creators and writers.**

**Oh- the title of this story is the Yiddish word for "trust". Why I gave it a Yiddish name will make more sense once I get that second chapter written!**


	2. Chapter 2

Friendship back on firmer footing, Auggie and Annie slipped back into their old habits. A week later, after a late night at Allen's Tavern, Annie followed Auggie upstairs to his loft. She wasn't entirely aware of what she was doing or why, it just seemed natural. They were having a spirited debate about nuclear proliferation and she wasn't quite ready to let him win.

Once in the apartment, Auggie toed off his shoes and leaned against the fridge. Annie lost her balance while standing on one foot to remove her heels. She toppled into him. He caught her by instinct. Laughing, he executed an exaggerated tango-style dip. Back up-right, Annie joined in his laughter.

"You know, that's part of your problem, Walker."

"Huh?"

"_You_ have no concept of personal space."

"Riiiiiight," she drawled in mock outrage. "This from Mr. Handsy himself."

Auggie attempted to look virtuous, his arms folded across his chest. "Think I'm wrong? You never did tell me how Mossad lover-boy swiped that memory card _out of your pocket_."

"Hey! It's not like it was in my pants' pocket! Coat pockets hang open!"

Unconvinced, and thoroughly enjoying teasing her, Auggie nodded sagely. "Of course, and trained CIA operatives always let strangers stick hands in their pockets."

She narrowed her eyes and jabbed a stiff index finger into his chest. "He is Mossad. He's smooth, and trained and…"

Auggie grabbed her hand, lest she bruise him. "And cute?" He laughed much harder at her choked protests. "I thought as much. So it's not all men you let drape themselves all over you, just the cute ones? I should be flattered?"

Still glaring at her friend, Annie snorted. "Ha. Maybe he wasn't the one doing the draping."

Auggie's eyebrow arched.

"Wait, that didn't come out right." She jerked her hand back. He'd been stroking his fingers over the back of hers and it was distracting. "I should kick your ass, August Anderson, for calling me a slut."

He stopped laughing. "Hey! That is not what I said and you know it. You know I'm just teasing. That guy is a trained seducer. I'd be worried if you _didn't_ get all weak kneed around him."

"And you're saying that you've never been distracted by a hot woman?"

He shook his head and then stated, primly, "I am a master of my emotions. My heightened senses allow me to filter out extraneous… Annie?" The last word came out as a squeak.

Annie stretched onto her tip toes and arched her back. Her breasts pressed through the thin silk of her blouse to rest against his muscled chest. She dragged one stocking-clad foot up his calf while her hands went to work. Her fingers twisted in those entrancing curls at the base of his neck. She'd never admit it to anyone, but Auggie's hair fascinated her. Her other hand slid across his back to tease at the hem of his t-shirt. With the slightest tug, she had his head arching backward. Her hot breath skimmed along the column of his throat. The laughter that bubbled up from her when he audibly swallowed was low and seductive.

Just as Auggie was starting to gather his wits, Annie kissed him softly on the cheek. She stepped back, putting more than five feet between them. "Who's distracted now, Mr. Professional?" She scooped up her heels on the way to his door.

Just as she crossed the threshold she turned and said "Thanks for the cab faire, Auggie. I'll see you in the morning."

Something bounced off his chest and hit the floor as the door clicked shut. Grinning broadly Auggie bent to pick up his wallet. He turned toward his bedroom, whispering "The pleasure's all mine, Annie."


End file.
